Solace in Illusions
by Mitsuye-san
Summary: She was a master of illusions, yet she was always surprisingly honest. He was a force that killed everything in his path, yet he was surprisingly kind. They were two sides of the same coin, yet they managed to become the best of friends. Eventual ZerefxMavis
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **I just recently got _obsessed _with this pairing, and thus this was born.

**Disclaimer: **Everything belongs to their rightful owners.

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Leaves wilted and curled into themselves before they broke off and disintegrated, their dead ashes drifting away on the wind. The trees lost their bright brown color, growing darker and more ominous as the black miasma spread with each step he took. Birds flying overhead dropped to the ground with all the grace of a dead fish, littering the landscape with their corpses.

He stopped and stared at what he did.

Death was the only way to describe it. There was no need to mince words when it was so obvious.

"Oh, look!" He tensed and clung to his deadly magic; of all things, he didn't want to kill a person.

So he was surprised when a beautiful pink flora was shoved in front of his face, bright in color, but most of all_alive_.

"Isn't it pretty?" The girl who asked was wearing a vibrant smile of her own, waiting patiently for his answer.

Taking a slight step back (more for her protection than his), he quietly replied, "Yes, it is."

Her smile widened and she reached out for his hand, intending to give him the flower, but he pulled away. She stared, calculating and analytic, but still warm with naive kindness. Kneeling she let the flower roll onto the ground until it stopped before his feet and grinned.

"Look, it wants you to pick it up."

He blinked. She wasn't serious, was she?

Sensing his hesitation, she attempted to subtly push it to him with her finger, imploring him to reach for it. Her gaze urged him to do as she wished.

His eyebrows pulled together, and looked back and forth from the girl's encouraging nods and the plant lying at his feet. Letting out a breath, he crouched down, making sure to concentrate on reigning in his magic, and let his fingers ghost over the stem.

He didn't want to disappoint the first to have such unwavering faith in him.

With that notion in mind he shut his eyes and let his fingers curl around the stem, lifting it from the ground. Instead of the all too familiar feeling of ashes piling up in his palm, the smooth petals brushed against his skin. Peeking his eyes open, he stared at the perfectly unharmed flower.

"You did it."

She was smiling at him, brighter and happier and satisfied. She pushed herself off her knees, standing taller than he was crouching, and patted his head proudly.

"Good job."

He twirled the flower between his thumb and forefinger, noticing how her movements weren't stiff, weren't scared. How her arm didn't already deteriorate under the effects of his magic.

"Its an illusion," was all he said, and he looked up at the child who seemed to never stop smiling at him.

"It is."

"Why?" Did you do this, did you come here?

She threw her hands out to her sides, a lively motion amongst the dead backdrop. "You can kill anything with one drop of your magic, you were alone, you were - are - death walking on two feet."

She looked at him straight in the eyes, serious and surprisingly honest. "But even you can't kill those who have a strong heart and unbreakable will."

"And you possess both?" He stood, meeting her gaze head on.

"No," she answered honestly, shaking her head, "not anymore."

She grinned at him. He raised an eyebrow.

"I gave it to you."


	2. Chapter 2

**Solace in Illusions**

**Chapter 2**

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"Mavis."

She glanced up from the flowing water, tilting her head at Zeref who sat a short ways away from the bank. He looked uncomfortable, one hand clenched tightly together as it was, but his face remained blank.

"What are you doing?"

Her hands shot into the water when she felt a slight disruption in the current, her hands grabbing nothing but water. Pouting, she glared at the fishes swimming expertly though the rocks and aquatic plants away from her reach.

"I'm fishing." Seeing another chance, she leaped toward the elusive fish, her fingers latching onto its tail. A large splash sprayed small droplets of river water in every direction it chose, some deciding to land on Zeref's face. He wiped it off with his sleeve, unperturbed.

Mavis emerged from the water, grin proudly in place, as she carried the fish in her arms like a too large trophy. Shewas soaked from head to toe, her hair dragging behind her as she walked across the grass to him. Dropping the flopping fish in front of him, she plopped down as well, wringing out her hair andfutiley wiping the water off her face with her drenched sleeve.

He watched as she dried herself, though dry was used loosely, as all she did was move the water whichever way she wiped. "Here," he sighed, taking off the white toga hanging over his shoulder, "take it."

Taking it with no hesitation and a thankful smile, she carefully wiped down her face. "Thank you," she mumbled, folding it together once she finished."I'll return it tomorrow after I clean it."

_Tomorrow_, he thought.

He closed his eyes, crossing his legs, and sat in silence. Mavis wouldn't bother him, he knew, because she would quickly find something else to distract her attention. Exhaling, he slowed his breathing and thoughts, focusing only what nature presented to his senses.

Though he could tell that she was observing him with palpable intensity, his expression didn't change after a full minute of Mavis' staring,

Instead, he waited, his patience later rewarded by the slight shuffle of her damp dress, of her feet brushing against the blades of grass as she moved about. It wasn't until her presence was far enough for him to not notice that he relaxed and could properly meditate.

But his thoughts refused to stray from Mavis.

Who was she?

What was she?

Why was she here?

What did sh-

"Zeref," he flinched violently at the proximity of her voice, of her warmth, and quickly pushed himself away. His eyes landed on Mavis and her bright hair cascading down her shoulder, standing where he sat heartbeats ago.

Her head was tilted curiously, her expression remained unfazed. "I'm an illusion," she smiled, encouraging and understanding.

He felt his stomach twist unpleasantly. "You are."

Content with his answer, she skipped over to him, eyes shining and happiness radiating off her being, and took hold of his hand. He flinched again, though more subtly, and instinctively pulled away, but Mavis tightened her grip and dragged him to the river bank. A thought struck as she led him.

It was warm, her hand, and his fingers slightly tightened their hold on her. Everything about her was warm, everything about her was bright.

So, so warm that she couldn't possibly be an illusion. So bright she couldn't not be real.

"Ma-"

Then there were hands pressing against his back, a split-second touch that he would have missed were it not for the fact that they made him lose his balance. He stumbled forward, unable to steady himself on the uneven ground, and greeted the icy water with a shudder.

Coughing, he picked himself up, feeling droplets rolling down his body and spreading the cold further. Mavis was laughing.

It was filled with giggles in between and glances peeking at how miserable he looked standing in the water, it was loud and probably disturbed the wildlife, but it was beautiful all the same. He decided he liked her laugh more than her smiles and grins and infinite understanding.

He trudged out of the river and she quickly went to retrieve his toga, giggling all the way. He sat and she stubbornly dried him off, and he asked as she excitedly ruffled his hair under the guise that she was drying it.

"Why?"

"You were hesitating."

"I was cautious."

Her movements slowed to a stop, her hands resting on his head with the toga blocking her face from his sight. "Even the strongest of people need tobe pushed to do something."

"So you decided to push me into the river?" He sighed, moving to remove her hands and dry him off himself, but the hands wouldn't budge. "Mavis."

"You have a strong heart, an unbreakable will," she forged on, her hands clenching the toga, and she pouted, furiously scrubbing it across his head, "and you still act as if you don't."

"They are not mine."

"I gave them to you."

He winced when she scrubbed even harder, but didn't do anything to stop her. She was upset, and he didn't want to increase her ire. "You don't want me to hesitate."

"Yes."

"You want me to accept your gifts."

"Yes."

"Even if I don't need it?"

"Yes."

"Then what will you do?"

"Get another heart and make another will."

"I don't need two hearts, Mavis." He grabbed her wrists with one hand, stopping her relentless scrubbing. It hurt.

"But yours is weak," she mumbled, falling to her knees. Her hands felt heavy on his head.

He brought her hands down, slipping the toga off with it, and gazed at her solemn eyes. "Then I will make it stronger."

"How?" Her hands fisted the grass, plucking them from the earth. Crestfallen, her eyes stared blankly at her hands, a frown settled on her lips.

Placing a hand tentatively over her's, gathering her attention, his lips tilted into a weak smile.

"I have a wonderful fairy helping me right here."

And when Mavis let out a choked laugh, sounding breathless and helpless, and threw her fragile arms around him to hold him, he returned it, if only for a stiff second.


	3. Chapter 3

**Solace in Illusions**

**Chapter 3**

**A/N:** Thank you, everyone, really. You have no idea how much your support means to me.

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Two beady black eyes stared into his own. Zeref nearly flinched at the _life_ shining behind them, glimmering like dewdrops on blades of grass.

"I -"

"- should really start now." Mavis finished for him, hands on her hips, frown showing her impatience.

"But I-"

"- should stop thinking and start _doing_." She interrupted once again, an impish grin tugging her lips into an expression of teasing joy. Zeref sent a helpless glance her way, then back to the small eyes watching him patiently, and let out a long-suffering sigh. There would be no talking himself out of this.

Mavis stood a few feet away, an expectant glow in her eyes, as she looked on. Zeref refused to stand closer than two feet of her despite her adamant retorts that she was an _illusion,_ and he shouldn't worry about avoiding any contact with her because she wasn't planning on going anywhere any time soon. Still, he was stubborn, and Mavis was fed up with it.

So, here they are. Zeref staring down a small, white rabbit, and Mavis getting horribly impatient.

Really, all he had to do was touch it, though standing next to it was an accomplishment (they passed that milestone after a grueling week of excuses and stubborn demands).

"Mavis, I-"

"No."

He threw a weak glare at her, exasperation mixing with the lost gleam in his eyes. They were both stubborn, and it always boiled down to who could outlast the other. Going by the current tally, Mavis won a grand total of five times. Zeref was left with a disappointing tally of two.

(Mavis probably knows, being the observant child she was, but Zeref's been losing these battles because he was content enough with bantering back and forth with someone who wouldn't wither away at his presence.)

He let out a quiet sigh. "Just one touch."

A bright smile bloomed across her face, like the clouds parting to reveal the sun. "Yep."

Crouching down, he eyed the rabbit warily. It cocked its head to the side, waiting for him, never making any sudden movements, and he felt a small smile tug at his lips. Mavis was too kind.

After a moment, he extended his hand above the small (_fragile_) head of smooth fur, but didn't touch it. He could feel Mavis glaring holes into him.

Quickly making up his mind, he let his hand fall short of patting the rabbit on its head and let his fingers graze over the silky fur. It was soft like he expected, and he was content with letting his fingers skim across its fur. Unfortunately, Mavis wasn't.

With a quick flick of her wrist, the rabbit pounced on him, startling him and making him fall back on the grass. The rabbit settled onto his stomach, peering at him with a spark of amusement dancing in its eyes. Zeref would have shoved the animal off of him had it not been for the sound of Mavis' laughter ringing in his ears.

"You did that on purpose." Zeref looked at her, neither accusing nor angry.

"I did," Mavis happily confirmed. Picking up the illusory rabbit, Mavis stroked its head once, twice, then it dispersed into a wisps of magic. She looked down at Zeref only to find him a few feet away. She pouted. "I won't die standing next to you, Zeref."

"No, you won't," Zeref agreed, though his eyes showed his reluctance to accept even that. He dusted off the stray grass clinging onto his clothes, keeping a wary awareness of Mavis, and blew out a quiet sigh at her put-out expression.

"I'm sorry, Mavis."

And all at once her demeanor brightened. She skipped over to him, too close but he allowed it because of the charming smile playing on her lips at the proximity. He wondered how being this close to anybody could make her happy, especially someone as lethal as him. For a brief moment, he wanted to know if he could feel that way too if he let himself enjoy Mavis' presence.

But then a flash of black and ashes and a broken smile withering away into nothing made him step back in shock.

It must have shown in his eyes because Mavis gave him a worried look. "What's wrong?"

_Everything_, he wanted to say but he held his tongue. "Nothing," he bit out, forcing a small smile. "You were uncomfortably close, Mavis."

She huffed, buying his excuse, but nailed him with a stern look. "You have to get used to it."

"I've been told," he returned, going along with Mavis.

She chattered on about one thing or another while Zeref drifted off. Leaving one ear on the conversation, he immersed himself in his thoughts, answering the occasional question without giving his distraction away.

Caught up in his thoughts, he didn't notice his eyes' habit of following Mavis' every move. When he did - much to his horror - he snapped his gaze away, keeping the frown that wanted to rise from showing.

This had to stop.


	4. Chapter 4

**Solace in Illusions**

**Chapter 4**

**A/N: **Thank you guys for your reviews and support, I hope you guys bear with me while I try to find out just where I'm going with this story...because I don't even know.

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"Zeref."

"Yes, Mavis? What is it?"

"You're getting worse."

He looked up at her for just a second, then away from her piercing stare.

"I'm not."

Mavis stomped the ground, fixed a scowl on her face, and _glared_ at him with all the fire in her eyes. Meters of land separated the two, and she threw out her hands to address it with all her indignance. "You won't even let me get close to you anymore!"

Zeref only glanced up at the sky, completely unperturbed by Mavis' accusation. "It's always been like this," he replied, steady and calm. "You're overreacting, Mavis."

He wasn't lying, not really. Keeping his distance from Mavis had always been on his mind, worrying away at the edges of his consciousness until he gave in, and he did actively try to keep them at least an arm's length away. Now, he's just...trying harder to maintain it.

Nothing new.

Mavis pouted, anger dissipating in a blink of an eye, and plopped down on the grass with a huff. Though her frustrations didn't outwardly show on face, her eyes shone was just a bit dimmer.

"Fine," she said with no hint of spite. She motioned for Zeref to sit.

After a moment, Zeref settled down but stayed overly cautious of Mavis' too-quick defeat. She was stubborn, almost to a fault, and they've clashed often enough for Zeref to understand that Mavis wasn't the type of person to just give in when she can _make_ things go her way. In all of their disagreements, Zeref had to _claw_ his way out before Mavis backed down.

Mavis was smart and tricky and sly. Something was obviously up.

"_You_ \- " she jabbed a finger at him, almost childishly paired with her ever-present pout " - are going to get better."

"There's nothing wrong with me, Mavis," Zeref countered.

"Today would be best," she continued on without missing a beat. Mulling over the thought, she closed her eyes and nodded periodically. "Okay!"

He watched as she conjured an illusion. The same white rabbit as last time appeared in between them, tilting its head to the side as its ears twitched. With a wave of Mavis' hand, it hopped over and plopped down directly in front of him. He didn't even flinch.

Glancing between the rabbit and Mavis, he raised a brow and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Treatment," she answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "All you have to do it sit there. Don't even _think_ about moving."

The sharp smile accompanying her words made dread drip into his stomach, but he refused to show it.

"Alright."

With a satisfied nod at his answer, and a kinder, brighter smile, Mavis returned her attention to the illusion she conjured. The rabbit sitting before him hopped onto his lap with no warning, and he shook at the force of his instinctive reaction to get away. They've never done this before, having him in long contact with her illusions.

He didn't move despite the fact he wanted to with all his might because somewhere inside of him, something twists and churns and threatens to lash out. His magic, building up with each passing second, was suffocating him. Sitting as stiff as a board, his fingers clutched the fabric of his pants even while he kept his expression blank. One wrong move, and his magic would be out of his control.

And because he didn't want Mavis, illusion or not, to experience the horrors of his own power, he held on desperately to his magic.

"_Mavis_," he said, voice hoarse and quiet as he concentrated. "How is this supposed to help?" In fact, he was feeling considerably worse. The fact that his magic was thrumming with power underneath his skin, pounding against his walls to break free of his chains of constraint, had him both breathless and shocked.

Because his power was singing for Mavis' death.

_No_. _Why_? Mavis was an illusion - she said as much so many times. _Not _a human, _not _someone that would make his magic more erratic than it already was, _not _a living, breathing person.

Illusions are the creator's toys. He doesn't even know if Mavis even _existed_.

"You're doing great," Mavis said, so, so close to him that he can feel her breath brushing across his skin. "Just one more thing and I'll be done."

Jerking away from her, because she was as warm as a real, living person and his magic was beating for her to come closer, he immediately scours for a reason to stop. This was too much. Too much for him to handle, too much for his mind to comprehend, too much-

Warm arms circle around his neck, pressing him against Mavis as she patted his back. He sat, still as a statue, while she knelt before him, bringing him closer to her.

"Mavis," he whispered, terrified by how his magic had been silenced the moment she touched him, "what are you doing?"

"Giving you a hug," she answered lightly, tightening her arms around him. He could hear the smile in her voice. "I heard that hugs make everyone feel better. What do you think?"

Unable to speak, Zeref closed his eyes and breathed in Mavis' scent, feeling calmer now that his mind was quiet.

"It's warm," he answered honestly.

Mavis laughed. "Do you feel better?"

With her arms wound tight around him, securing him against her, Zeref felt _safe_. He never thought that he needed to be protected, not when everything usually drop dead like flies around him, so he never knew that having someone there to shield him, just for a moment, from the world and its problems, to lend him a hand when he didn't know he needed one, could be this uplifting.

Just for a moment, he allowed himself to forget that Mavis was an illusion, that he was an uncontrollable force of destruction, and pretended that everything was right in the world because never had he felt so content.

"Yes," he said, a small smile touching his lips. "Thank you, Mavis."

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And to **Kiri**: Yes, I've read Fairy Tail Zero and enjoyed it very much.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Sorry for the wait, but it's here now, right? Thank you to those who followed, favorited, or reviewed! You guys mean the world to me!

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Zeref sat with his back straight and shoulders squared, focusing all of his attention on the tree opposite of him. He refused to waver, and his hands clenched into tight, white-knuckled fists as he bit the inside of his cheek to concentrate.

Ever since the incident last time, Mavis had been taking more liberties with him. She'd brush their fingers against each other, grab his arm or hand - whichever was easier - and tug him wherever she fancied, and Zeref grew more and more uncomfortable with each physical barrier she demolished. His magic hadn't been active as of late, not since Mavis had hugged him, and he couldn't tell if he should be worried or relieved.

As of now… Zeref glanced down at his lap, seeing Mavis' utterly content expression, and let out a strained sigh. As of now, Mavis thought him fit to be a human pillow.

He'd never understand Mavis' unfounded faith in his ability to control himself. When they'd met, he already tore down a large area of the forest because of his inability to keep his magic at bay. How she came to the conclusion that he was stable enough not to kill her was baffling, but that was trust he hadn't received in years and he would do what he could to keep it there.

After fearing himself for so long, it was a breath of fresh air to know that someone believed in him.

"You're going to be the death of me, Mavis," he whispered into the air. As of hearing him in her sleep, she smiled before burying her face into his lap, one arm thrown over his knees.

He tensed when she shifted, watching every small twitch of her fingers, every little movement, but relaxed upon realizing that she wasn't waking up. Still, he was cautious enough to remain still enough to not bother her as she slept, and kept his eyes on the bark of the tree. He refused to look at her again for his own well-being. There was always a chance of his magic coming up with full force, and he didn't want to risk it with Mavis so close.

As the minutes passed, silent except for the rustle of leaves and the occasional birdsong, Zeref's fingers twitched. Listless, he played with the grass by his hands, finding some small comfort in the minor distraction. He twirled it between his fingers, bent it, plucked it out, but found little more to do with it other than to keep himself busy. His eyes turned towards the sky, but they widened when his fingers brushed against something soft.

Pinching it between his fingers, Zeref brought it up to his eyes only to let it fall. Hair, he noted, Mavis' hair. Thinking back, he never realized just how smooth Mavis' hair was even when she rolled around on the grass and plunged into the river without a care. One hand went to Mavis' head in his lap, combing through blonde hair with ease. He instantly relaxed, felt the corners of his lips tilt upwards, and repeated the motion.

Mavis shifted again, pressing against his hand, and Zeref froze. He waited for eyes to open, for a sound to come out those lips, but she remained quiet. After a moment of hesitation, he restarted his strokes.

"If you really liked my hair, you could've said so."

Zeref started, violently, and almost shot to his feet were it not for Mavis' head in his lap. Green eyes peered up at him, laughing at his surprise, and Zeref pulled his hand away hastily.

"You could have told me you were awake, Mavis," Zeref said.

"Didn't want to."

He sighed, running a hand through his own hair, and raised an eyebrow down at Mavis. "Do you plan on getting up soon?"

Mavis grinned, rolling over so that Zeref could only see a side of her face. "No, I'm going back to sleep."

"Mavis- "

"Can you keep doing that?" She interrupted. When Zeref looked at her, confusion of his face, she closed her eyes. "What you were doing before with your hand. Can you keep doing it?"

Zeref stared at her, eyes wide, but slowly, gently, allowed his fingers to slide through her hair once more. Mavis smiled, relaxing into sleep again. "Thank you, Zeref."

As he watched her fall back to sleep, Zeref noticed a flash of something odd between the strands of Mavis' hair and parted it with his fingers without ceasing his strokes. It was her ears, he noticed, tinged a fading red that appeared to be more of a pink. Curious, he brushed the back of his fingers against it, feeling the contrast between it and his cool fingers.

Her ears were hot


End file.
